אַחֲרֵי הַדְּבָרִים וְהָאֱמֶת הָאֵלֶּה בָּא סַנְחֵרִיב מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר וַיָּבֹא בִיהוּדָה וַיִּחַן עַל־הֶעָרִים הַבְּצֻרוֹת 32:1
וַיֹּאמֶר לְבִקְעָם אֵלָיו׃
2Chr. 32:1 After the faithfulness and these things, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, entered and came to Judah and camped by the fortified cities, and thought to break through to it.
Much of this chapter is related to the information in 2Kin. 13 ff. But many of the details are different, and different aspects of the events are told in each of the books. Refer back to that chapter to inspect the variations.
On another note, just about all the popular bible editors have translated the last two words in this verse as something like to take for himself. I suspect that the chronicler intended something different: As I’ve translated the last two words, to break through to it, the it referring to Judah, it implies that the fortified cities were situated near the borders of Judah. To my way of thinking, this is a most reasonable conclusion.
וַיַּרְא יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ כִּי־בָא סַנְחֵרִיב וּפָנָיו לַמִּלְחָמָה עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִָם׃ 32:2
2Chr. 32:2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib was coming and his presence would be to fight against Jerusalem,
וַיִּוָּעַץ עִם־שָׂרָיו וְגִבֹּרָיו לִסְתּוֹם אֶת־מֵימֵי הָעֲיָנוֹת אֲשֶׁר מִחוּץ לָעִיר וַיַּעְזְרוּהוּ׃ 32:3
2Chr. 32:3 he consulted with his princes and his fighting men to shut off the waters of the fountains that were outside the city, and they helped him.
וַיִּקָּבְצוּ עַם־רָב וַיִּסְתְּמוּ אֶת־כָּל־הַמַּעְיָנוֹת וְאֶת־הַנַּחַל הַשּׁוֹטֵף בְּתוֹךְ־הָאָרֶץ לֵאמֹר לָמָּה יָבוֹאוּ 32:4
מַלְכֵי אַשּׁוּר וּמָצְאוּ מַיִם רַבִּים׃
2Chr. 32:4 And many people were gathered and they stopped up all the fountains and the brook flowing in the middle of the land saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find abundant water?”
The information in this verse and those in the next four verses are not mentioned in 2Kings.
וַיִּתְחַזַּק וַיִּבֶן אֶת־כָּל־הַחוֹמָה הַפְּרוּצָה וַיַּעַל עַל־הַמִּגְדָּלוֹת וְלַחוּצָה הַחוֹמָה אַחֶרֶת וַיְחַזֵּק 32:5
אֶת־הַמִּלּוֹא עִיר דָּוִיד וַיַּעַשׂ שֶׁלַח לָרֹב וּמָגִנִּים׃
2Chr. 32:5 And he took courage and rebuilt all the broken wall that he raised up against the towers, and another wall outside, and he strengthened the Millo of the city of David, and made weaponry in abundance and shields.
וַיִּתֵּן שָׂרֵי מִלְחָמוֹת עַל־הָעָם וַיִּקְבְּצֵם אֵלָיו אֶל־רְחוֹב שַׁעַר הָעִיר וַיְדַבֵּר עַל־לְבָבָם לֵאמֹר׃ 32:6
2Chr. 32:6 And he set captains of war over the people and gathered them to him to the plaza of a gate of the city and spoke concerning their heart saying,
חִזְקוּ וְאִמְצוּ אַל־תִּירְאוּ וְאַל־תֵּחַתּוּ מִפְּנֵי מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר וּמִלִּפְנֵי כָּל־הֶהָמוֹן אֲשֶׁר־עִמּוֹ כִּי־עִמָּנוּ רַב 32:7
מֵעִמּוֹ׃
2Chr. 32:7 “Be strong and have courage! You must not be frightened or dismayed by the king of Assyria or because of all the multitude that is with him, for with us is One greater than with him.
עִמֹּו זְרֹועַ בָּשָׂר וְעִמָּנוּ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ לְעָזְרֵנוּ וּלְהִלָּחֵם מִלְחֲמֹתֵנוּ וַיִּסָּמְכוּ הָעָם עַל־דִּבְרֵי יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ 32:8
מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה׃
2Chr. 32:8 “With him is a force of flesh, but with us is the Lord, our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people were refreshed by the words of Hezekiah, king of Judah.
אַחַר זֶה שָׁלַח סַנְחֵרִיב מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר עֲבָדָיו יְרוּשָׁלַיְמָה וְהוּא עַל־לָכִישׁ וְכָל־מֶמְשַׁלְתּוֹ עִמּוֹ 32:9
עַל־יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה וְעַל־כָּל־יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר בִּירוּשָׁלִַם לֵאמֹר׃
2Chr. 32:9 After this Sennacherib, king of Assyria, sent his servants to Jerusalem (then he was at Lachish and all his realm was with him), to Hezekiah, king of Judah, and to all of Judah who were in Jerusalem saying,
The following speech by Sennacherib’s servants, from v. 32:10 down to v. 32:19, is different from the one described in 2Kings Chapter 18 and it addresses different people. In 2Kin. 18:18 we are informed that the servants of the king of Assyria spoke to three of Hezekiah’s servants. Here we are told that they spoke to Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem.
כֹּה אָמַר סַנְחֵרִיב מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר עַל־מָה אַתֶּם בֹּטְחִים וְיֹשְׁבִים בְּמָצוֹר בִּירוּשָׁלִָם׃ 32:10
2Chr. 32:10 “Sennacherib, king of Assyria, says this: ‘Why are you trusting and remaining in the siege in Jerusalem?’
הֲלֹא יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ מַסִּית אֶתְכֶם לָתֵת אֶתְכֶם לָמוּת בְּרָעָב וּבְצָמָא לֵאמֹר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יַצִּילֵנוּ מִכַּף 32:11
מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר׃
2Chr. 32:11 ‘Has Hezekiah not persuaded you, giving you over to die by famine or by thirst saying, ‘The Lord, our God will deliver us from the grasp of the king of Assyria?’
הֲלֹא־הוּא יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ הֵסִיר אֶת־בָּמֹתָיו וְאֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתָיו וַיֹּאמֶר לִיהוּדָה וְלִירוּשָׁלִַם לֵאמֹר לִפְנֵי מִזְבֵּחַ 32:12
אֶחָד תִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ וְעָלָיו תַּקְטִירוּ׃
2Chr. 32:12 ‘Did not he, Hezekiah, remove his high places and his altars and speak to Judah and to Jerusalem saying, ‘Before one altar you must bow down, and upon it you must offer?’
הֲלֹא תֵדְעוּ מֶה עָשִׂיתִי אֲנִי וַאֲבוֹתַי לְכֹל עַמֵּי הָאֲרָצוֹת הֲיָכוֹל יָכְלוּ אֱלֹהֵי גּוֹיֵ הָאֲרָצוֹת לְהַצִּיל 32:13
אֶת־אַרְצָם מִיָּדִי׃
2Chr. 32:13 ‘Can you not know what I did, I and my fathers, to all the peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of the lands at all able to deliver their land from my hand?’
מִי בְּכָל־אֱלֹהֵי הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר הֶחֱרִימוּ אֲבוֹתַי אֲשֶׁר יָכוֹל לְהַצִּיל אֶת־עַמּוֹ מִיָּדִי כִּי יוּכַל 32:14
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם לְהַצִּיל אֶתְכֶם מִיָּדִי׃
2Chr. 32:14 ‘Who was it, among all the gods of those nations that utterly destroyed my fathers, that was able to deliver its people from my hand? Then would your God be able to deliver you from my hand?’
וְעַתָּה אַל־יַשִּׁיא אֶתְכֶם חִזְקִיָּהוּ וְאַל־יַסִּית אֶתְכֶם כָּזֹאת וְאַל־תַּאֲמִינוּ לוֹ כִּי־לֹא יוּכַל כָּל־אֱלוֹהַ 32:15
כָּל־גּוֹי וּמַמְלָכָה לְהַצִּיל עַמּוֹ מִיָּדִי וּמִיַּד אֲבוֹתָי אַף כִּי אֱלֹהֵיכֶם לֹא־יַצִּילוּ אֶתְכֶם מִיָּדִי׃
2Chr. 32:15 ‘So now let not Hezekiah beguile you or persuade you like this, and you must not be faithful to him, for none of the gods of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver its people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers, much less that your gods could deliver you from my hand.’”
וְעוֹד דִּבְּרוּ עֲבָדָיו עַל־יְהוָה הָאֱלֹהִים וְעַל יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ עַבְדּוֹ׃ 32:16
2Chr. 32:16 And his servants spoke more against the Lord, God, and against Hezekiah, His servant.
וּסְפָרִים כָּתַב לְחָרֵף לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֵאמֹר עָלָיו לֵאמֹר כֵּאלֹהֵי גּוֹיֵ הָאֲרָצוֹת אֲשֶׁר 32:17
לֹא־הִצִּילוּ עַמָּם מִיָּדִי כֵּן לֹא־יַצִּיל אֱלֹהֵי יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ עַמּוֹ מִיָּדִי׃
2Chr. 32:17 And He wrote letters to be defiant to the Lord, God of Israel, and to speak against Him saying, “Like the gods of the nations of the lands that did not deliver their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah shall not deliver His people from my hand.”
וַיִּקְרְאוּ בְקוֹל־גָּדוֹל יְהוּדִית עַל־עַם יְרוּשָׁלִַם אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַחוֹמָה לְיָרְאָם וּלְבַהֲלָם לְמַעַן יִלְכְּדוּ 32:18
אֶת־הָעִיר׃
2Chr. 32:18 And they called in a loud voice of the Jews' language over to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall to frighten them and to alarm them so that they could take the city.
וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֶל־אֱלֹהֵי יְרוּשָׁלִָם כְּעַל אֱלֹהֵי עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי הָאָדָם׃ 32:19
2Chr. 32:19 And they spoke concerning the God of Jerusalem as about the gods of the people of the land, the work of human hands.
וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ וִישַׁעְיָהוּ בֶן־אָמוֹץ הַנָּבִיא עַל־זֹאת וַיִּזְעֲקוּ הַשָּׁמָיִם׃ 32:20
2Chr. 32:20 And Hezekiah, the king, prayed, and Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, about this, and they cried out heavenward.
וַיִּשְׁלַח יְהוָה מַלְאָךְ וַיַּכְחֵד כָּל־גִּבֹּור חַיִל וְנָגִיד וְשָׂר בְּמַחֲנֵה מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר וַיָּשָׁב בְּבֹשֶׁת פָּנִים לְאַרְצֹו 32:21
וַיָּבֹא בֵּית אֱלֹהָיו (וּמִיצִיאֹו) [וּמִיצִיאֵי] מֵעָיו שָׁם הִפִּילֻהוּ בֶחָרֶב׃
2Chr. 32:21 And the Lord sent an angel and he cut down every mighty man of valor and leader and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned shame-faced to his land. And he entered the house of his gods, when those coming forth of his bowels overthrew him there by the sword.
This verse alludes to the same event described in 2Kin. 19:35 and 19:37, but the number of men destroyed is given in 2Kin. 19:35, and the details of Sennacherib’s demise are more explicit in 2Kin. 19:37. There’s also an error in the parentheses. The incorrect word could be translated as when those who came forth (his bowels), which makes the meaning of the phrase awkward. The correction in the brackets is translatable as when those coming forth of (his bowels), a better alternative meaning for the phrase.
וַיּוֹשַׁע יְהוָה אֶת־יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ וְאֵת יֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם מִיַּד סַנְחֵרִיב מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר וּמִיַּד־כֹּל וַיְנַהֲלֵם מִסָּבִיב׃ 32:22
2Chr. 32:22 So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, and from the hand of everyone, and guided them from every side.
וְרַבִּים מְבִיאִים מִנְחָה לַיהוָה לִירוּשָׁלִַם וּמִגְדָּנוֹת לִיחִזְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה וַיִּנַּשֵּׂא לְעֵינֵי כָל־הַגּוֹיִם 32:23
מֵאַחֲרֵי־כֵן׃
2Chr. 32:23 And many were bringing tribute to the Lord, to Jerusalem, and precious things to Hezekiah, king of Judah, and he was exalted for the eyes of all the nations from then on.
בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם חָלָה יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ עַד־לָמוּת וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל אֶל־יְהוָה וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ וּמוֹפֵת נָתַן לוֹ׃ 32:24
2Chr. 32:24 In those days Hezekiah was so sick he was close to death, that he prayed to the Lord, and He spoke to him and gave a sign to him.
The sign mentioned here is described in 2Kin. 20:9 and 20:10.
וְלֹא־כִגְמֻל עָלָיו הֵשִׁיב יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ כִּי גָבַהּ לִבּוֹ וַיְהִי עָלָיו קֶצֶף וְעַל־יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִָם׃ 32:25
2Chr. 32:25 But Hezekiah did not repay according to the benefit for him, for he had become arrogant. Then “wrath” was upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem.
וַיִּכָּנַע יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ בְּגֹבַהּ לִבּוֹ הוּא וְיֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִָם וְלֹא־בָא עֲלֵיהֶם קֶצֶף יְהוָה בִּימֵי יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ׃ 32:26
2Chr. 32:26 But Hezekiah humbled himself because of his arrogance, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them during the days of Hezekiah.
וַיְהִי לִיחִזְקִיָּהוּ עֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד וְאֹצָרוֹת עָשָׂה־לוֹ לְכֶסֶף וּלְזָהָב וּלְאֶבֶן יְקָרָה וְלִבְשָׂמִים 32:27
וּלְמָגִנִּים וּלְכֹל כְּלֵי חֶמְדָּה׃
2Chr. 32:27 And Hezekiah's wealth was increased exceedingly, and honor, that he made treasure houses for himself for silver and for gold and for valuable stone and for spices and for shields and for every kind of desirable vessel,
וּמִסְכְּנוֹת לִתְבוּאַת דָּגָן וְתִירוֹשׁ וְיִצְהָר וְאֻרָוֺת לְכָל־בְּהֵמָה וּבְהֵמָה וַעֲדָרִים לָאֲוֵרוֹת׃ 32:28
2Chr. 32:28 and storehouses for the yield of corn and new wine and fresh oil, and stalls for every kind of animal, and flocks in stalls.
וְעָרִים עָשָׂה לוֹ וּמִקְנֵה־צֹאן וּבָקָר לָרֹב כִּי נָתַן־לוֹ אֱלֹהִים רְכוּשׁ רַב מְאֹד׃ 32:29
2Chr. 32:29 And he acquired cities for himself and the possession of sheep and oxen in abundance, for God had given to him very much substance.
וְהוּא יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ סָתַם אֶת־מוֹצָא מֵימֵי גִיחוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן וַיַּישְּׁרֵם לְמַטָּה־מַּעְרָבָה לְעִיר דָּוִיד וַיַּצְלַח 32:30
יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ בְּכָל־מַעֲשֵׂהוּ׃
2Chr. 32:30 And he, Hezekiah, stopped up the flow of waters of the upper Gihon and redirected them westward down to the city of David. Thus Hezekiah prospered in all his work.
וְכֵן בִּמְלִיצֵי שָׂרֵי בָּבֶל הַמְשַׁלְּחִים עָלָיו לִדְרֹשׁ הַמּוֹפֵת אֲשֶׁר הָיָה בָאָרֶץ עֲזָבוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים לְנַסּוֹתוֹ 32:31
לָדַעַת כָּל־בִּלְבָבוֹ׃
2Chr. 32:31 Yet afterwards, because of the interpreters of the princes of Babylon being sent to him to investigate the sign that was in the land, God left him to put him to the test, to know everything in his heart.
וְיֶתֶר דִּבְרֵי יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ וַחֲסָדָיו הִנָּם כְּתוּבִים בַּחֲזוֹן יְשַׁעְיָהוּ בֶן־אָמוֹץ הַנָּבִיא עַל־סֵפֶר 32:32
מַלְכֵי־יְהוּדָה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל׃
2Chr. 32:32 And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his faithfulness, behold, they are recorded in the vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, upon the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
Some of this verse can be found in 2Kin. 20:20 and some of the next verse is found in 2Kin. 20:21.
וַיִּשְׁכַּב יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ עִם־אֲבֹתָיו וַיִּקְבְּרֻהוּ בְּמַעֲלֵה קִבְרֵי בְנֵי־דָוִיד וְכָבוֹד עָשׂוּ־לוֹ בְמוֹתוֹ כָּל־יְהוּדָה 32:33
וְיֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִָם וַיִּמְלֹךְ מְנַשֶּׁה בְנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו׃
2Chr. 32:33 And Hezekiah slept with his ancestors and they buried him on the ascent of the sepulchers of the sons of David, and at his death all Judah and the inhabitants of all Jerusalem did him honor, and Manasseh, his son, became king in his place.
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